Automatic fire-extinguisher



'(ModeL) I J. R. BROWN.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

No. 245,915. Patented Aug. 16,1881

'WITNESSESI INVENTGRI V N. PETERS Phowuthc n hu. wmh'uugtm. RC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OSEPH R. BROWN, OF PROVIDENCE, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-THIRDS TO HENRY A. STEARNS, OF LINCOLN, RHODE ISLAND, AND JOHN M. HALL, OF WAL- LINGFORD, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,915, dated August 16, 1881.

Application filed March 14, 1881. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH R. BROWN, of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Fire-Extinguishers; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

1 o In automatic fire-extinguishers the most important consideration is the thorough distribution of water in a uniform spray on the fire and a thorough drenching of the ceiling, for as longas the ceiling is protected by water the fire will I 5 be confined in the storyin which it originated; and by distributing the water in a fine spray on the fire a large volume of steam is quickly generated, which, by its efforts to escape at every opening, prevents the admission of air to the fire, so that the products of combustion assist the water and steam in smothering and extinguishing the fire in less time and with less damagefrom fire or water than can be done by throwing a stream of water from a hose or 2 5 nozzle, which carries large quantities of air with the water.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of my improved automatic fire-extinguisher. Fig. 2 is a. view of the same, partly in section.

It will be observed that there are two perforated distributers, which are constructed to distribute the water upward and downward. They are especially designed to distribute the water on the ceiling and on the fire, and will 3 5 more effectually protect a building than distributers as heretofore constructed. Under special conditions they may, however, be used so as to distribute the water laterally.

In the drawings, a is the water-inlet. d is a differential valve, the disk 01 being of less diameter than the disk 01 both disks being united by a central stem. Both disks are soldered to the case b, so as to prevent the water from reaching the perforated distributors c c. 4 5 These distributers I prefer to make of perforated sheet metal, which can be secured to the case b by spinning or drawing the metal over the edge of the case b, as shown ate; or the perforated sheet may be secured by screws or rivets, as shown at 0 both in Fig. 1. 5c

The distributors c 0 may be made and usually are made so that they can be unscrewed from the case b when the valve 01 is to be sol dered to the case, and replaced afterward. The distributer may be made of cast metal, and the screwthread may be made in any suitable manner, as thejoint is not required to be tight.

As these automatic fire-extinguishers are usually secured to the end of the branch pipes, the water can be drawn off from the pipes after a test or after a fire, and no water will remain in the extinguishers.

The distributors, when screwed onto the case, as shown in Fig. 2, may be removed from time to time and cleaned, and when the 'water is maintained in the system of pipes and the branch pipes collect dirt, scale, or other impurities (which would be fatal to other automatic fire-extinguishers by clogging the dis- 7o tributers and preventing the distribution of water) this extinguisher will perform its func tions, as the impurities collect-in the lower distributer and do not affect the upper, which, by sending the spray of water against the ceiling, distributes the same over a large area from the ceiling downward.

The operation of this automatic fire-extinguisher is as follows: The differential valve 01 being secured by solder and connected with a system of pipes in which water is maintained under pressure, in case of a fire the solder with which the valve is held will melt at from 150 to 200 and release the valve. The diameter and area of the disk 01 being greater than the 8 5 area of the disk (1, the valve will move downward by the pressure of the water, aided by the weight of the valve, and the water will be discharged from both distributors.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. In a distributor, the combination, with the inlet a and case b, of the perforated distributers c 0, secured to the case b, as described,

and constructed to distribute the water in 0pposite directions, as described.

2. An automatic fire-extinguisher consisting of two distrihuters constructed to distribute the water in opposite directions, and a differential valve, secured by fusible solder, constructed to be released by heat and moved by the press ure of the water so as to open the outlets to both distributers, as described.

3. The combination, with the inlet a, the case 10 b, and distributers 0, of the valve 01, having the disks (1 and d secured together, one of the disks having less area than the other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH R. BROWN. Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, Jr., J OSEPH A. MILLER. 

